What is a Heat Pump and how does it work?

The world’s best explanation

At Logicool and Easy Heat Pumps, whilst we are engineers it is important to state that we are homeowners. We go home at night, and we want to be in a warm and comfortable home.  Many of us also have Heat Pumps at home. Many competitors do not.

Listed below are all the answers you will get on the internet when you ask how a Heat Pump works.

Click here to skip the confusion below and head straight to the common sense answers 

You are a homeowner thinking about spending a lot of money and taking a risk by having a Heat Pump installed because some people tell you they don’t work (spoiler alert, they do!).

When you do your research do you want to be baffled by technical answers or do you want some common sense? Do you want your understanding of Heat Pumps to be easy?

Our own research on this proves that many people still won’t understand how this wonderful technology works after searching for answers on the internet.

Google AI says “Heat pumps work by transferring thermal energy (heat) from one location to another, rather than generating it”…….

Octopus start by saying “It all starts with thermal energy (heat) that’s naturally in the air and ground. Even when it feels cold, there’s still plenty of heat there that can be used. “…. It gets more technical after this opening statement.

EDF are better. They say “A heat pump is essentially an outside boiler. It captures heat from outside and moves it into your home, using electricity to do so.” But what does that mean?

National Grid state that “a heat pump uses electricity to provide both heating and cooling to a building. These appliances are efficient at transferring heat from one place to another, depending on where it’s needed”.

You are surrounded by Heat Pumps in your daily life.

Heat Pumps keep you comfortable at work or when you are shopping, at the cinema or at the Gym. Air Conditioning systems are Heat Pumps!

Heat Pumps keep water, cola, beer and wine cool. Beer cellar coolers are Heat Pumps!

You are accessing the internet and all your Cloud Services because of Heat Pumps. Data Centre Cooling systems are Heat Pumps!

A Heat Pump is a refrigerator! It just works the other way round. Put your hand at the back of any type of refrigerator and sense the waste heat and look at the black compressor. This is the same as a Heat Pump!

That slight humming noise a Heat Pump makes….. does it sound familiar? Does it sound like something in your home? Maybe your fridge?

The technology is not new.

A refrigerator does not cool your food directly. The refrigeration process removes heat from the inside (where your food is stored).

It then rejects that heat out and away from the refrigerator. This is why the rear of the refrigerator (or freezer) is warm.

The inside is cold, the outside is warm!

• A Heat Pump takes heat from outside (yes, even when it is cold!)
• That Heat is pumped into your home via the Refrigeration process.

FAQ’s

Here are some basic and slightly more technical answers so everyone can understand.

But how can there be heat outside when it is cold?

Basic: Go for a walk on a crisp winter day. Have you ever had to take your coat off? There is heat in the air. Heat is energy.

Advanced: The refrigerant inside the tubes on a Heat Pump runs at temperatures below zero degrees. Therefore, the air around it is hotter and it heats that liquid and turns it into a gas.

Why do I hear negative stories about Heat Pumps?

Basic: They are not gas boilers. They must be designed and installed correctly. Some installers do not understand this, and they size and install the internal radiators and pipework the same way they would as a boiler. This is wrong.

Advanced: All of heat loss in your rooms in your home must be calculated accurately. Boilers run hot and the radiators are hot to touch. Heat Pumps typically run 40 – 50% lower in temperature and therefore the radiator or underfloor heating must be sized correctly. Information such as insulation, U values, internal temperature and more must be considered by the installer. Please use a reliable, experienced and recommended Renewables Installer. At easyheatpumps.com we can give you excellent recommendations.

Are Heat Pumps noisy?

Basic: No

Advanced: No

Will my energy bills come down?

Basic: Possibly. Heat Pumps do consume less energy. However, your actual monthly bills may not change dramatically. Electricity costs a lot more than gas, typically three times more. Heat Pumps are typically three times more efficient than gas boilers. If you want a Heat Pump to reduce your energy bills then think twice. Install Solar Panels first if you want to reduce your monthly bills.  

Advanced: A very well-designed Heat Pump will cost less to run than a Gas Boiler. Most sales of Heat Pumps are to homeowners who have improved their homes by increasing or adding insulation, installed solar panels, have EV’s and/or are environmentally conscious. Many new homes are being installed with Heat Pumps due to changes in legislation and there is a lot of investment in improving poor housing stock in social housing. This can include the installation of a Heat Pump as well as other improvements to the property.

Many owners of self-build and/or renovated properties are switching to Heat Pumps as part of their overall choice to have a better building.